Thursday, February 12, 2009

Batteries Included

pacemaker First of all I'd like to say that I have been slightly incommunicado because of a dodgy broadband connection for a couple of days. We do not live in the best location, so our cable is just a few meters too long and there are too many customers sharing this feeble string of internet traffic. The result is that I have had to have the speed slowed down to make it more reliable. I'm sure there are others out there with similar experiences. Technology, huh!

Anyway, good news, my mum will have a pacemaker fitted tomorrow. Yeeaah! I've always thought that it would be a lengthy affair, but apparently it is a quick job under local anaesthetic. Fabuloso! She will have it done tomorrow morning and be sent home in the afternoon. They need the beds. Where have I heard that one before?

Furthermore, after a planning meeting with some care worker it was decided she should have more home help, e.g. with shopping and showering. She already has a cleaner. Things are working out really well, which is so much more pleasing since I will go to France for a week, distancing myself even further from Sweden. Many of you know the feeling of physical detachment as an expat; you cannot be there for somebody when you really would like to sometimes. Luckily my siblings are closer at hand and can look after our mum, which makes my bad conscience a little lighter.

8 comments:

Zuzana said...

I am sorry to her about your mother, hope all will work out well.
Enjoy your stay in France, I would too rather be in France then cold Denmark.;)

swenglishexpat said...

Protege - Thanks, she'll be fine. It's the best news for a long time, I think. The wood-burning stove will be working hard to make it cosy! ;-)

Rositta said...

Good news for your Mom. You know from reading my blog that such speed wouldn't happen here. Extra help is always welcome for the elderly, here they are cutting the homecare hours back. For personal care for example, the government has decreed that only one shower a week is acceptable...ciao

swenglishexpat said...

Rositta - What a prospect! Am I looking forward to old age? Mmm...

Diane said...

Glad your mum is doing better. And so glad they caught that jerk!

What you said about being an expat and far away when someone you care about isn't well struck home... though I was in this country when my dad was sick, I was 8 hours away by car, in another state. It was a lot like being an expat, I guess :)

Anonymous said...

Yes, I definitely know that feeling of being too far away! My mum has had a triple heart bypass, heart attacks and at least two strokes...

Glad to hear that your mum is doing well, and that she is going to get some more help at home.

oreneta said...

Good lord, they can fit a pacemaker with a local! Glad to hear she is doing well....Hope it all goes well with the surgery. It always makes me edgy the speed they ship older people out....fingers crossed.

swenglishexpat said...

Diane - Thanks. 8 hrs is what it takes me to drive all the way to Malmö. It's not much quicker to fly. So, you definitely were just like an expat.

LadyFi - That's when you wish you were there, but you have to live your own life after all.

Oreneta - It's happening as I type! I'm confident she'll be fine despite being shown the door straight away! ;-)